By Emmanuel Aziken

The conspicuous absence of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar at the Monday National Caucus and Tuesday National Executive Committee, NEC meeting of the All Progressives Congress, APC has raised fresh concerns about the political disposition of one of the country’s enduring politicians.

Atiku, who had in recent times expressed concern over the pace and pattern of the government is a member of the National Caucus and NEC given his position as a former vice-president.

•Atiku

No reason was given for his absence in the two meetings, causing his absence to ring out. A senior aide of the former vice-president, however, revealed that he was out of the country and returned only after the meetings. But why did he not come back before the meetings?

His presence at either meeting would also have been significantly embarrassing given his spate of criticisms against the policies and programmes of the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Besides criticising the policies of the government, Atiku has also complained loudly just like many other chieftains of the party that they have been left out of the affairs of the party and the government after funding the 2015 campaign.

The Atiku issue rose to a phenomenon last September just after Buhari returned from his medical vacation when a minister in the government, Hajiya Aisha Alhassan publicly vowed to support Atiku against Buhari in the 2019 presidential elections.

Her assertion came in the wake of what was seen as the efforts by government officials to choke Atiku’s businesses.

With indications that the contest of the APC presidential ticket would be skewed against him, the general opinion is that Atiku would return to his former party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. If that happens, that would be the second time he would be returning to the party after unceremonious departures.

Until not too long ago, the “owners” of the PDP had been looking in the direction of Atiku to return the party to credibility for some obvious reasons. Among them was the fact that he is from the Northeast, the only section of the North yet to produce a Nigerian leader since 1966. Another reason is Atiku’s name recognition across the country. Another thing going for him is the dynamism of his seemingly latent political structure. Also going for him is the pile of cash that Atiku is believed to be keeping for his ambition.

With those indications, it is not surprising that a number of his associates from across the country who followed him to the APC have commenced a quiet return to the PDP. Atiku’s absence at the two strategic meetings of the APC this week may as such be an indication that he is set to jump ship.

But then, Atiku is believed to be still weighing his options in the pursuit of his lifelong ambition to be president.

The first reason for caution is that situations have changed in the PDP. The PDP no longer needs Atiku to save it as the repeated foibles of the APC federal administration have helped to bolster the former ruling party.

After top officials of the APC administration helped to rehabilitate a fugitive sacked by the preceding PDP administration and paid him millions of naira when thousands of workers are crying for arrears of salary, the moral quotient of the APC has in the eyes of many gone into a deficit.

With that in mind, it is not surprising that a number of credible persons in the PDP are now being prepared to challenge Buhari or whoever the APC presents. Among those in consideration are Senator Ahmed Makarfi and Alhaji Sule Lamido, two original PDP members who do not owe their politics to Atiku.

With that in view, Atiku seems stuck.

Another consideration for Atiku to consider is the disposition of Baba Iyabo. Despite claims of statesmanship and his public renunciation of the PDP, indications are that President Olusegun Obasanjo remains concerned about Nigeria’s democracy project.

The insinuation that while Obasanjo remains alive that Atiku can never be president of the country has now turned into a refrain. If he dies before Atiku and his former vice aims for the Presidential Villa, Baba Iyabo it is rumoured, has been reported to have said that he would beg God to permit him to return to earth for the sole purpose of frustrating Atiku!